21/10/2015: Eight Predictions Which "Back To the Future 11" Came True
Remember that 80s cult classic "Back to the Future"? October 21, 2015. That was the moment Marty McFly, Doc and Jennifer travelled from 1985 to the future in 'Back to the Future II'.
The film's vision of the future amazed audiences when it was released in 1989, and over 25 years later, the forecasts have been more accurate than might have been expected.
Here are eight predictions that happened to come true.
1. Hoverboards
We don’t have Pitbulls or Mattel hoverboads yet, but Japanese car company Lexus recently unveiled a prototype for a real, rideable hoverboard. A company called Arx Pax in California is also working on its own version, with help from a Kickstarter campaign. Unfortunately they both rely on magnets, so are unlikely to be able to fly over water like Marty's.
2. Wearable technology
In Back to the Future II, Marty’s future kids wear headsets at the dinner table to make and receive calls and watch TV. With the introduction of Google Glass in 2013, and gaming headsets like Oculus Rift in the works, virtual reality is not far off, and Microsoft's recently announced Hololens bears more then a passing resemblence to Junior's goggles.
3 Video calls
Marty's video call with his co-worker Needles in Back to the Future II seemed like a futuristic dream, but with FaceTime and Skype now staples, the video call has evolved from a business medium to an essential of everyday life.
Marty's video call with his co-worker Needles in Back to the Future II seemed like a futuristic dream, but with FaceTime and Skype now staples, the video call has evolved from a business medium to an essential of everyday life.
4 Hands-free gaming
While we don’t see it in the film, kids at Cafe 80s mock Marty for having to use his hands to play an arcade game, implying that Xbox Kinect-style gaming is the norm in their 2015. And guess what, it is.
While we don’t see it in the film, kids at Cafe 80s mock Marty for having to use his hands to play an arcade game, implying that Xbox Kinect-style gaming is the norm in their 2015. And guess what, it is.
5) Tablet computers
When Doc meets Marty by the clocktower, he is brandishing what looks like an iPad-style tablet computer. Today tablets are commonplace, with 233 million units expected to be sold in 2015, an 8 per cent increase from 2014.
When Doc meets Marty by the clocktower, he is brandishing what looks like an iPad-style tablet computer. Today tablets are commonplace, with 233 million units expected to be sold in 2015, an 8 per cent increase from 2014.
6 Self-tying shoes
Marty's self-tying trainers were one of the weirder inventions features in Back to the Future II. Now Nike designer Tinker Hatfield has confirmed he and his team are working on a consumer version of the shoes, complete with self-tying laces, and hopes to have them ready for sale by the end of 2015.
Marty's self-tying trainers were one of the weirder inventions features in Back to the Future II. Now Nike designer Tinker Hatfield has confirmed he and his team are working on a consumer version of the shoes, complete with self-tying laces, and hopes to have them ready for sale by the end of 2015.
7 Robot car fuelling
For the most part, filling a car up is still largely the same as it was in the 80s, but that could be about to change soon. Tesla recently unveiled a bizarre robot snake-like contraption for its electric cars to recharge them when in the garage.
For the most part, filling a car up is still largely the same as it was in the 80s, but that could be about to change soon. Tesla recently unveiled a bizarre robot snake-like contraption for its electric cars to recharge them when in the garage.
8 Fingerprint recognition
Most of us don't use it to get into our house, but fingerprint recognition is now a major part of many people's lives, being used on several smartphones to unlock them or pay for items.
Most of us don't use it to get into our house, but fingerprint recognition is now a major part of many people's lives, being used on several smartphones to unlock them or pay for items.
Telegraph